Cold Eyed Savior
by Ameyoke
Summary: Mai has come to Japan because of the man who saved her from suicide, Hyoubu. She is discovered as a Level 7 esper, and helps him with missions, but refuses to kill. When her love gets a lust for blood, she goes to the children for help... Can she save him
1. Chapter 1: I Reached Out My Hand

**Chapter 1: I Reached Out My Hand**

"Mai, are you coming?" Kyousuke Hyoubu asked. I'm a girl with calm eyes, long blonde hair, and a smile on my face who follows him down a hallway.

"Yes." I nod. I'm a level 7 esper, a girl who has a strong sense of justice. However, I work with Hyoubu. I never hurt anyone very badly, I only knock them out. My conscience is huge, so I can't stand to do anything worse.

"Today, we're going to break down a Normal People base." He told me.

"All right. But… Don't hurt anyone too much, all right?" Hyoubu blushed at my innocence.

"Fine, fine…" he pouted, and I giggled. I know it doesn't make any sense… Why would I ever team up with him? Maybe it's because… We're alike? People misunderstand us. Hyoubu seems scary, but he's a real sweetie. And you know what the weirdest thing is? …I'm in love with him.

It all started back in America. I was about to commit suicide by the river, I was so fed up with people bullying me, my brother becoming a delinquent… It was too much. The water rushed quickly past my eyes. But as I stepped toward the edge…

"What are you doing?" A tall man with white hair looked deep into my eyes, like he was piercing my soul. I hate people looking me in the eye. I feel weak, scared, like a bunny rabbit before a wolf.

"…I'm worthless in this world." I told him, "I'm different. No one wants me anymore." I continued to walk.

"You have a lot of potential, don't give up." He grabbed my hand and pulled me close to his chest, not on purpose, but to get me away from the fall I was about to take.

"No!!!" I screamed and tried to push him away. While I thought I would fail, a red light pushed him away quickly.

"You're a level 7 esper…?" he looked at me, "And a psychometer to boot."

"What…?! What is this…?!"

"It's OK, calm down." He cooed, "Come with me. I can help you control your powers and use them well." The man walked towards me, "My name is Kyousuke Hyoubu. What's yours?"

"…Mai Nellaki." I nodded to him.

"Mai, please, come with me." He walked towards me. Could he save me? I thought this to myself. I reached out my hand to his, but when we were about to touch…

"Espers!!! Two of them!!!" A middle-aged man with a pistol yelled to the other behind him. We both looked up quickly, and Hyoubu dashed in front of me.

"Stay behind me, let me be your shield." He told me strongly. I blushed at the way he told me. I felt safe, even though a gun was pointed at us.

"Damn espers!!!" the man shot the gun. My eyes widened as the bullet dug into his skin. I screamed my lungs out so loud that it seemed like I couldn't hear at all. I didn't know my voice had powers. But it did. My desperation to save Hyoubu gave me a new power of voice. The men fell on the ground.

"How dare you…!" I looked at them with evil, furious eyes. With my hand, I lifted them into the air and slammed their bodies down on the ground, just enough to knock them out.

"Hyoubu…!!!" I fell on me knees sobbing. I held his bleeding body in my arms, his head in my hand.

"You have a lot of potential, didn't I tell you…?" he smiled and pulled the bullet out with his powers, "You're like me."

"How can I save you…?! Are these powers for nothing…?!" I cried.

"Look, hold your hands over my wound and imagine that you're healing me."

"All right." I closed my eyes, "Please my inner self, let me heal Hyoubu…! Please…!" A blue and white glow sparkled above him, and his wound closed up.

"Yup, you're doing well." He smiled and stretched good as new.

"Thank god…!" I ran up to him and held him tight, "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I just…!" Tears dripped from my eyes. I hadn't felt like this for at least a year. I was happy, but still scared.

"It's all right." He hugged me back, petted me like a frightened child. And to him… I probably was.

After that, I moved to Japan, my stepfather was very relieved that I was leaving, and my mother was super worried. Hyoubu was taking me in as my guardian. After all, he looks 19, but he's really over 90. When I got there, he gave me my own room, next door to his. The little girl esper, named Mio glared at me for being so close to him.

"I'm sorry to intrude." I bowed honestly to her, and she forgave me only a little, but it was a start. From then on, I helped him in his missions. I knew I might be used, but I trust Hyoubu. I really do. One time, on a mission to get rid of some of the Normal People…

"These are the houses where some of the normal people live." He told me, "We're going to make a big flood and kill them all." My knees weakened, and my heart beat a mile a minute.

"You can't…!" My eyes were wide, tears flew from them like a waterfall. I screamed, and Hyoubu covered his ears.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he yelled to me over the noise.

"You don't know what happened to me!!!" I cried.

"Tell me. Is there a place you can explain it to me?"

"…Yes. Read my mind, and you'll know." Hyoubu stroked my hair again like a little girl, and held me tight, reading my mind at the same time. We appeared at a neighborhood that was destroyed, a house was in front of us. It was broken, and water stains went up to the second floor.

"This is…?" He asked, waiting for an answer.

"My home… I lived in it most of my life." I told him, "A hurricane came, and it ruined my life…! I lost all of my friends, my first love…!" I sobbed.

"Mai… I'm sorry…" He hugged me tight, knowing he had done something wrong.

"You know…" I told him quietly, "I'm usually afraid of men touching me… But… I feel so safe when you do…" I held my face close to his chest.

"I'm glad that I'm special to you." He smiled softly, so gently, like he had no hatred in him anymore. I wanted to show him that not all humans were bad.

"All right," I say in the present, "Let's storm this base!!!" I burst the door down.

"Intruders!!!" the guards call.

_**I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll **_

_**I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds **_

_**But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to **_

_**Lost all faith in the things I have achieved **_

_**And I **_

_**I've woken now to find myself **_

_**In the shadows of all I have created **_

_**I'm longing to be lost in you **_

_**(away from this place I have made) **_

_**Won't you take me away from me…?**_

"Good job reaching your emotions, you knocked them out good."

"Thanks." I high-five him.

"Let's go." He starts to walk ahead.

"Wait!" I call to stop him, "These people need healing." I sing a gentle song to let them have good dreams and heal their wounds.

"Kyousuke, she's so soft! Why are you in lo-"

"Shut up!" he hits the little squirrel on his shoulder to quiet his mouth, Kyousuke's face is red.

"Don't be so bashful!" He laughs.

"Don't make fun of me!!!"

"Hyoubu-sama, you're so cute when you're angry." I giggle and run on without him.

"Hey, wait up!" he blushes and tries to catch up with me.

"It's fine, it's fi-" I'm cut off by a bullet in my heart. A man had shot at me. The role from so long ago was reversed. Hyoubu screams out my name, running to catch me.

"Mai!!! MAI!!!

"She'll die any minute!!!" the little squirrel checks my health.

"You bastards…!!!" he lifts his hand, "She even took the time to heal you people and give you good dreams, and this is what you do to her?!?!" he teleports us three out of there, and for a second, I can see what is going on. We are above the base, Kyousuke has a murderous look in his eye. With one twist of his hand, the entire base blows up. My eyes go wide, knowing that all of those people have died. People who's mothers spent time and love to raise them. All of that is gone. Tears drip from my eyes. Hyoubu has gained a craving for blood. And it's all my fault.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back at our HQ, he takes me into the infirmary and puts me on the bed. One of the women espers comes in to heal me. Hyoubu leaves for a while to cool down, and the woman examines me.

"You're really lucky you're alive." She told me, "You should be dead, but you're not. Weird." She raised my shirt off of me and put her hand on my breast. She lifts the bullet out and heals me slowly. I know how I'm OK. Hyoubu was curing me on the way back, in desperation to hold onto my life, "I can close the wound, but you'll have to go into the infirmary. You need to regain your blood." She connects me to a machine for my breathing. I inhale through the mask she puts on me, taking in the oxygen. It hurts so much, I feel so weak.

At night, I open my eyes, they flicker. I see Hyoubu sitting in a chair, fast asleep. He must have been waiting for me to get better. But I knew of the plans Hyoubu had for those people who opposed us. And if I was in danger again… Who knows what would happen to them. I pull off the mask, and I see him as he wakes up.

"You're all right, I'm glad." He comes and hands me my clothes, "Why don't you get dressed. I want to talk with you." He leaves the room, my heart beating fast. What did he want to talk about…?

"What's the matter, Hyoubu-sama?"

"I'm going to kill every single one of the Normal People for what they did to you. Come with me."

"No… Hyoubu-sama, this isn't right, and you know it."

"Not right?!" he yells at me, "I… Almost lost you…!" he says hoarsely, and I think he really was scared to see me die.

"Hyoubu-sama…" I hug him softly. Not like a child, but like the 18-year old woman I am, "Thank you for worrying about me… You've always saved me. You saved me from myself, you saved me from that bullet…" I gained a small blush on my face, "…I love you." I tell him softly, and he strokes my face with his hand.

"In all my years of living," he whispers in my ear, "I've never fallen in love with anyone, and I never expected to… Until now I met you. I fell in love with you, Mai." We reach our lips towards each other, we're both shy. We kiss warmly, and I know what I must do. Even though we love each other, I know Hyoubu will kill all of those people, all for my sake. I have to leave. I have to go to Babel. I have to go to the Zettai Karen Children, and beg for their help.


	2. Chapter 2: Help Me

**Chapter 2: Help Me**

"Welcome!" One of the women at Babel's help desk greet me as I enter. I'm a senior in high school when I'm not working for Hyoubu, so I walk in wearing my school uniform. It's a pale cream sweater vest with a white blouse short sleeved shirt, a navy blue plaid skirt, and knee-socks, mine aren't loose. I have my hair back in a loose ponytail.

"Please… Get the Children. I need your help."

"She works for Hyoubu…!" They press a button behind their desk.

"Please, no, that's not why I'm here!!!" I plead, but it's too late. People have surrounded me to throw me out. Is this it? My last chance to save Hyoubu is throwing me out? I glare at them.

"I

WILL

SAVE

HYOUBU-SAMA!!!" I scream, singing an angry song

_**How can you see into my eyes like open doors**_

_**Leading you down into my core**_

_**Where I've become so numb without a soul my spirits sleeping somewhere cold **_

_**Until you find it there and lead it back home**_

_**(Wake me up)**_

_**Wake me up inside**_

_**(I can't wake up)**_

_**Wake me up inside**_

_**(Save me)**_

_**Call my name and save me from the dark**_

_**(Wake me up)**_

_**Bid my blood to run**_

_**(I can't wake up)**_

_**Before I come undone**_

_**(Save me)**_

_**Save me from the nothing I've become**_

"What's going on?!" A girl with red hair runs down. She sees me singing with tears on my face, and flinches, "Let her go, you big dummies!!!" She puts her hand forward and slams them off like it's nothing, "Hey, are you OK?" She comes to me and I fall to my knees.

"Who…?"

"I'm Kaoru Akashi."

"Kaoru…?!" I say desperately, "I've been looking for you…! Please, help me!"

"Wait, what?" she asks, having no idea what I'm talking about.

"Kaoru, that girl works with Hyoubu!" Dr. Sakaki yells at her.

"Oh, SHUT UP!!!" Kaoru slams him against the wall, "I ain't gonna leave someone in trouble to be kicked out!!!"

"She's right, let's hear what she has to say."

"Minamoto!" Kaoru smiles.

So, five minutes later, I'm in the boss's head office. He stares at me intently, and I don't really like him. He's an old geezer, but Minamoto is younger, broad-shouldered, and good-tempered. The three Children are sitting with Minamoto. They must be… What, 13 years old by now? They pay attention to every word I'm about to say.

"First, tell us a little about yourself."

"Yes sir."

"Good manners, wow." Kaoru whispers to Shiho.

"My name is Mai Nellaki, I come from America."

"America? Your accent is so good!" Aoi exclaims.

"And… And… YOUR BOOBS ARE SO BIG!!! YOU ARE AN AMERICAN!!!" I cover my chest, embarrassed. Is being from America such a big deal…?

"Stop giving her sexual harassment, Kaoru." Shiho says calmly.

"Anyways…" I brush it off, "I had to move to somewhere else in America because of a hurricane, and I had lost everything. My home, my friends… It was too much, and I was going to commit suicide, but the one who stopped me was Hyoubu-sama."

"That's because you're an esper, you know." Shiho says coldly.

"You're wrong!!!" I lose my temper for a moment, "He thought I was a human and he still saved me! And then I uncovered my level 7 esper power…

"Level 7?!" Minamoto doesn't believe his ears.

"Yes. I'm a psychometer, but I also have the ability to create images and power with my voice. Hyoubu-sama also taught me healing."

"So… What's your problem?" And so I told them the story about the base, and about us both loving each other.

"But I have to save him from himself…! Please, help me save Hyoubu-sama!"

"All right." Kaoru tells me.

"You'll do it?!"

"It's a love story that needs to be finished." Aoi smiles.

"Thank you…!" I cried with joy.

"Where are you living?" Minamoto asked.

"…I lived with Hyoubu, but now…"

"You can stay with us!!!" The boss yells, quite to my surprise.

"He must be happy, he got a new level 7." Shiho giggles.

"Now then… Now that that's settled…" Kaoru smirks; "TO THE BATHS!!!" she grabs my hand and dashed to the BABEL Women's bath.

"Ooh, you really have big boobs~" Kaoru squeezes my chest inside of the tub.

"Stop…!" I blush, "By the way Kaoru, you have a thing for Minamoto, right?"

"H-How did you…?!"

"Instinct, hun. It was simple."

"Yeah. We've kind of given up on him." Aoi nods to Shiho.

"Here, Kaoru." I come over to her, "You'd look cute with a ponytail, very grown up. Maybe it's just me, though.

"You think…?"

"Once you fall in love with someone, don't let them go." I hug her, and she smiles.

"What's so great about Hyoubu, anyway?" Shiho asks.

"Shiho!"

"No, it's fine. I'll tell you." I let my chest sink into the water, "He saved me from myself, and he always watched after me. It's so hard to describe love… I love him more than anything, though. He helped heal my heart. He's so kind. But… He was betrayed by a human he trusted. That's why he hates them. I want him to see that they're not all bad though. I want to be with him."

"That's so noble." Aoi blushes. I smile sadly, and we all get out of the bath and dry off. The girls have warmed up to me, I think. I'm glad. I like them.

"We'll get you an apartment at the BABEL women's dorms." The boss picks up the phone, but a red light slams it down again.

"Kaoru?!" Minamoto exclaims. She looks at him, her hair now up in a ponytail.

"Us three've been talking, and we've decided…" They smile together. "We want Mai to live with us."

"You guys…" I feel so happy.

"But my apartment isn't that big…"

"Aren't you just trying to get out of living with a full-grown woman?" Shiho smirks.

"No!!!"

"MY CHILDREN, IF IT'S FOR YOU, I'LL MAKE THE APARTMENT BIGGER!" The boss picks up the phone and dials a number so fast, I can't see what he dialed. He asks for the construction crew, and buys the apartment next to Minamoto's, so they can build on it.

"I guess… It's nice to meet you, Mai." Minamoto smiles and reaches out his hand. For the first time since I came to BABEL, I smile fully.

"Yes sir," I shake his hand, "It's an honor to be working with you!"


	3. Chapter 3: Mermaid Princess

**Chapter 3: Mermaid Princess**

"What the f**k is this?!?!?!" A loud voice comes from inside headquarters.

"Hyoubu-sama, what's the matter?" Mio comes out of her room.

"Where… Is my princess?!" He slams a vase of flowers against the wall, and the girl flinches.

"Princess? You mean the queen?"

"She doesn't mean anything to me anymore." He snorts, "My woman, where is she?!"

"You mean… Mai?" She asks.

"Yes, of course Mai! I need to see her!!! Now!!!" He yells.

"She might have been kidnapped." One of the subordinates tells him, "After all, if BABEL finds out that she's the one you love, then they'll target her."

"Mio!"

"Yes sir!"

"Go and find her, bring her to me! Now!!!" He barks at the small girl.

"I-I got it." She runs off.

"Poor Hyoubu-sama. He really loves that girl, and even had an interest in her when he thought she was human." A woman in black told the man with long hair.

"Indeed. He's been so much more calm and kind when she's around. But now, deep in his mind, he has a thought that she might have betrayed him."

"She was very against the idea of killing. She's not fit to be Hyoubu-sama's lover."

"Don't say that, you two!" Mio jumped up from nowhere.

"Mio…!"

"If Hyoubu-sama chose her, then she must be good. And also… I spent some time with her. She's not a bad person…"

"Hmph, you don't know anything!" The woman twirls away, angry as hell.

"She's mostly jealous." The man with black hair assured Mio, "But because she doesn't like violence, I kind of see her point."

"…If we bring her back, then maybe he'll be OK!"

"Maybe. So do your best."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mio flies off to where the Zettai Karen Children are. Kaoru, Shiho and Aoi are getting out of school, and start to walk home.

"I can't wait to see Mai!" Kaoru puts her hands in the air.

"Me too. She's an interesting person. She never grew up as an esper, so she really has a Normal's feel around her."

"Hey!" Mio appears in front of them.

"Mio!"

"Where's Mai?!" She glares. Oh yeah, they think to themselves, Mai had run away without saying a thing, so it would look like they took her hostage.

"We took her. She's no good with you." Aoi says calmly.

"What are you doing?!" Kaoru whispers.

"Kaoru, Mai is still in love with Hyoubu, right? Then we don't want to tarnish her reputation."

"Yeah… You're right." Shiho nods with her other friend.

"We won't give her up!" Kaoru yells.

"You…!" Mio takes her hand and teleports it behind the three girls. She strangles them, limiting their powers.

"Damn it…!" Kaoru whispers in pain.

_**Shine, bright morning light**_

_**Now in the air, the spring is coming**_

_**Sweet loving wind**_

_**Flow across the hills and valleys**_

_**Save your love for me**_

_**Now we're at the edge of hell**_

_**Dear my love**_

_**Bright morning light**_

_**Wait for me, you've gone much farther, too far.**_

Mio's powers weaken and she lets them go. Her ears hurt from my song.

"Kaoru, Shiho, Aoi!" I take them in my arms.

"Why are you here?!" Shiho yells at me.

"Huh?"

"We just told Mio we kidnapped you! You don't want to lose face with Hyoubu, do you?!"

"You guys…!" I hug them close, "It's all right. I don't want to lie." I stand up and confront Mio, "I can't come back. Don't you see, Mio? Hyoubu wants blood from the humans!"

"You fool! He does such good things!"

"I know, Mio, and I still love him with all of my heart. I love him so much, that I would take his stead for death."

"Ah…!"

"I am going to fight against PANDRA, but I will not attack Hyoubu. I refuse."

"Mai…!" Kaoru looks at me shocked.

"As promised, I will heal you all and boost you with song, but I will not touch the one I love. That will just bring more hatred to his heart."

"We understand." Aoi nods.

"I'll report this to him, do you understand?! I can say whatever you say to me!"

"Go right ahead, Mio. I know you want the best for him too. The one who saved us from hatred. You're like a little sister to me." Mio blushes and teleports away silently.

"Is this OK?"

"Yeah, don't worry." I nod to them and help them up.

"But-!"

"I think Hyoubu will still love me, even after this." I start to walk home with the girls.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So… She's left to make sure I don't do so much bloodshed anymore…" Hyoubu lifts his hand to his face.

"What are my orders?" The long-haired Magi stands beside Mio.

"…Don't touch her. Don't hurt her. Nothing."

"But sir-!"

"I'll win her back, you'll see." Hyoubu smirks, "She still loves me, I still love her. I'll make sure it works out."

"Hyoubu-sama…" Mio whispers, "She said she'll fight against PANDRA, but won't hurt you…"

"Hm." Hyoubu smiles and lifts his hand, "You're dismissed."

"Yes sir." They salute and exit the room.

"Can't you see that I need you by my side… Mermaid Princess." He looks at a picture of me on the wall with him. I'm holding my arms around his shoulders, my head above his left. He smiles in the photo, and I do too. I do want to see Hyoubu. So much I could cry. But I know I can't. I have to bring him to his senses.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Good morning…" I walk in my baggy pajamas into the kitchen, where Minamoto is cooking breakfast.

"Good morning-! Whoa-" He sees my night shirt without a bra. I look at him.

"Sorry, I'll get changed after breakfast-"

"Good morning, Mai!" Kaoru hugs me from behind. She flies, and her hands land on my breasts.

"Kya!"

"Ooh, they're soft today too!" She squeezes them in her hands, and the big things almost engulf her hands.

"Kaoru! Let her go, you're scaring her!" Minamoto yells at the girl, and she lets down.

"Che, how boring…" Kaoru pouts and sits at the chair, ready for breakfast.

"Come on, let's not freak her out, OK?" He smiles and places an egg on her plate.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't eat eggs plain." I tell him and start to go to my room to get dressed.

"Why?"

"I get sick."

"Would you like something else?"

"Oh, no, really, I'm fine." I smile. A slightly tired, sad look is on my face.

"What's up with Mai…?" Kaoru says softly and takes a bite of toast.

"She might be homesick."

"She's been away from her home for over a year."

"But now she's separated from her lover. How do you think she feels?" Kaoru sits there.

"She's probably hurt. The one she loves thinks she betrayed them."

"Right."

"…Hey, Minamoto… Can I take a day off of school?"

"What?! Why?!"

"I wanna see what Mai does during school. I think this goes deeper than just homesickness."

"Hm…"

"C'mon, pleeeease? It can be a mission!"

"…If you three will do it together, then fine."

"Yay, thank you Minamoto!" Kaoru hugs him tight. He blushes and lets her down.

"O-OK, wake up Shiho and Aoi. AND KEEP THIS A SECRET FROM MAI."

"Ye~s" She skips down the hallway.

"God… Soon she'll grow up to be a beautiful woman." He thinks to himself.

"All right, I'm going now." I smile and run out the door, my lunch box in hand, made by Minamoto.

"All right, to the van." He whispers to the girls.

"Right." The three children nod.

I arrive at my school, and everything is normal. No one looks at me as I enter the door. I'm early to class, and I take out some manga to read. I smile, and sometimes take the expressions of the characters.

"She's an otaku?" Kaoru looks at me from a bush. I flip through the pages. Three girls start to come in. They look at me, smirk, and then walk to their seats.

"All right class, who can answer this problem?" The English teacher points to a sentence in English. I raise my hand.

"All right, Ms. Nellaki." He nods. I guess he doesn't know that I'm American. It's a new semester, after all.

"The beautiful maiden walks down the hallway, her heart beating. What is the truth? Although she wants to be with her lover, she knows she must save him from himself." I pause, and wait for further instructions.

"How…?"

"I come from America, sir." I bow, "May I please take my seat?"

"Y-Yes, go ahead." He nods and I sit.

"What a stuck-up girl, a total know-it all." A girl behind me whispers to another.

"We'll beat her in Japanese class, at least." I ignore them and put my eyes forward. They probably will. Although I speak Japanese pretty well, I can't write to save my life. Next class is fitness, where we are going to swim. My talent.

"All right, first relay." A woman teacher holds her whistle to her lips. Phweet! And off we go. I dive and glide against the water, then flap my arms and legs to swim. I look like a water bug, stroking the water hard, letting my body cut through the pool.

"Good!" The teacher clicked my time, then the girl behind me, "Nellaki wins. Next!" The next two girls lined up, and they glared at me intensely.

I sit alone at lunch, away from everyone else. I open my bento, and munch down an eggroll. Yummy. I don't care if I'm alone. I'm used to it… Right.

After school, I walk out the door, and five girls approach me.

"Hey you!" They slam me against a wall in the back, "We're insulting you, right? Then why don't you say something?"

"Because you're like children seeking attention." I lift my bag off of the ground. One of them kicks me in the stomach.

"Mai!" Kaoru almost screams, but Shiho and Aoi cover her mouth.

"You're so damn weird! Your voice and personality always changes, you don't ever talk to anyone anymore, and you've been rumored to have a handsome older boyfriend." She kicks me again, "Why do you get everyone's attention, the teachers too?!"

"…Are you in love with a teacher?" I choke and stand up. She blushes and reaches her fist to my face.

"Shut up!!!" I expected to be punched, and so did the girls in the bushes, but someone stops the fist.

"Who… Who are you…?" One of the girls says in fear.

"H… Hyoubu…?!" I ask in shock. He looks at me with his calm smile, and lifts me like a princess into his arms.

"A-Are you her boyfr-"

"I am. So? What's wrong with that?" He smirks at the girl. I blush. He thinks of me like that…?

"Why would you ever love a monster like that?! Whenever she sings, everyone gets hypnotized, it's not normal!"

"That was before she trained her powers." He smirks again, "Go ahead Mai, sing for them." I look at him softly. I know what he wants me to sing, but I can't. I won't.

Have I felt that this day would once come..?

My heart puzzled with love is swaying, and swaying, 'till it hurts

The deep sorrows no one is aware of

For some reason gets carried on too

Just as if it was like a beloved person

_**On a little star, that is me,**_

_**A single drop of love sprouted**_

_**I can't fight my fear of losing people**_

_**A prayer to the moon, and a prayer to the stars**_

_**Engrave the path I should go with in my heart**_

_**The reason why my tears are getting hot**_

_**Is a destined Piece of Love,**_

_**A Piece of Heart I was able to encounter**_

This is a love song for you, Hyoubu, I think to myself.

"Pretty…" One of them started to feel sleepy. They all fall to the ground with good dreams.

"You didn't hurt them." He looks at me.

"Because they don't deserve it…"

"Don't say they don't deserve it!" He raises his voice at me for the first time in a while. He holds me close in his arms, "Come back with me."

"I can't."

"You can."

"If you won't kill people, whether they're innocent or guilty. I mean, it's fine to help take custody of the bad, but please don't kill them! Those people have lives too, you know, and only one to live. I can't bear it…" I hold my arms tight around his waist.

"Until this scar disappears, I will never forgive any of the Normals."

"You thought I was a normal when you first met me, right? Don't you love me?"

"You're… Different."

"Other people can be different too. Please…!"

"…I can't forgive the Normal People, or the Black Phantom. You should know that very well. All of those that abandoned you because you were an esper-" I slap him across the face.

"Is that what you want…? For me to return because I'm too corrupted to think for myself…?" Tears fall bitterly from my eyes, "I want to come back to you with a smile…! I don't want to be eaten by my bad memories alive!" I run away from him, so angry. I love him so much, doesn't he see that? Then why can't he take my feelings into consideration?! All he wants is for himself to be happy, for himself to have me by his side. I run to my room and land on my bed, sobbing my eyes out. I know. I know what we both want. We both want to be with each other. We lived lonely lives. We want to feel each other's lips, each other's skin… We want someone there to tell us it's all right, like a small child and their parent.

"Hyoubu…" I sniffle. My eyes start to flicker and slowly, I fall asleep.

"Mai. It's time for dinner." Shiho wakes me up in the evening. I rise from my bed and look at her sleepily.

"What's for dinner?"

"Pork roast."

"No thanks. I'll eat something tomorrow." I lie down on my bed again and fall asleep almost instantly. My head feels so dizzy from crying and deep sleep. Shiho strokes my head and lies down next to me.

"I'll keep you company." She snuggles up to my back.

"…OK…" I say groggily.

"I told him I wasn't hungry. We're one in the same, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Your heartbeat… It's nice. Like a mother's." She feels warm against my heat. I smile nicely and flip the covers over both of us. "You smell like a nice perfume… Very light-scented."

"I guess… I put some on this morning…" I cover my shoulders with blankets. I like the feeling of being depended on. It feels comforting and nice. I slowly fall asleep.

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Songs of this chapter…

Fake Wings – See-Saw

Piece of Love – Mayumi Asano


End file.
